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40 Years of the Mazda RX-7

Celebrating four decades of Mazda's Rotary sports car

1978 marked the beginning of the toweringly successful career Mazda enjoyed with the RX-7 model. Unveiled for the first time in their home market of Japan, the RX-7 model played a vital role in establishing Mazda’s reputation for building celebrated driver’s cars. Mazda’s innovative designers were challenged to come up with a model in response to a global cry for non-gas guzzling sports cars – and in turn created an automotive icon.

The RX-7 was a smaller, lighter, more efficient vehicle than any other car on the road and as anyone who drove it would tell you – was thoroughly fun to drive! Thanks to the revolutionary compact yet powerful rotary engine the power unit was allowed to be mounted lower and further back resulting in a car that set new standards in road holding.

The original RX-7 ‘FB’ proved a huge success with more than 470,000 driving enthusiasts buying one, before the second generation ‘FC’ model was introduced with turbo power in 1985. The third generation ‘FD’ followed in 1992 until production of the iconic RX-7 ended in 2002.

With global success throughout the models’ history the designs have been cemented as one of the world’s best sports cars. The formula was a hit with customers and critics alike. Car and Driver magazine, one of America’s most influential car magazines, placed the Mazda RX-7 on its annual Ten Best list five times.

As a celebration of the Mazda RX-7’s 40th birthday, Mazda brought together all three generations of the sports car in a film that documents the evolution of the most successful model to be powered by a rotary engine:

Total global production of the RX-7 reached 811,634, but this was a car that made an impression way beyond its sales numbers – feared by rivals on track, loved by owners and admired by fans, the RX-7 established Mazda as a sports car brand, made the rotary engine famous and laid the groundwork for Mazda’s next great sports car – the Mazda MX-5.

Today, the spirit of the RX-7 still resonates in Mazda’s stylish and great-to-drive SKYACTIV model line-up, while classic RX-7s continue to thrill owners and fans the world over.

Mazda RX-7 – A true Japanese Sports Car legend.

To find out more about Mazda's future sports cars please call us or send us a Mazda RX-7 enquiry